Step 1: Form a team

Destination Imagination is open to all kindergarten through university level students worldwide. Students form teams of up to 7 members, select their preferred Challenge and work together to develop a solution to the Challenge. Each team has at least one Team Manager (often a parent or teacher) who helps keep the team on track, but does not assist or interfere with the team’s project.

Form a team through your school by contacting your campus DI coordinator or come to our Information Night to learn more about forming teams.

For more information on the DI challenge program visit the Destination Imagination website by clicking HERE.

Step 2: Get a team number

You start in DI by getting a team number. The contacts below can assist you with getting a team number from the school districts (team membership purchases are often limited, so please do this as soon as you know you'll have a team). Otherwise, a membership number is available (for sale) at www.idodi.org.

Richardson ISD teams can request a team member number with this RISD Membership Request Form. For questions or to submit your form please contact Jean Cieszkowski at Jean.Cieszkowski@richardson.k12.tx.us.

Highland Park ISD schools, please contact your building coordinator.

Independent or private school teams, please visit destinationimagination.org to purchase your membership or contact Stephanie Gonterman at sgonterman@att.net for more information.

Step 3: Find a volunteer appraiser

In Destination Imagination tournaments, "appraisers" are members of the team of tournament officials who play a part in bringing a Destination Imagination tournament to life. Their role might be to appraise teams in central challenges or instant challenges, to help in the score room, or be an appraisal team leader. Just like with a DI Team, there are many different skills and roles needed from our appraisers, and we do our best to make sure our appraisers find a role that best suits their talents. Appraisers are critical to DI -- it just doesn't happen without them!

Every team needs to supply an appraiser to serve at the tournament. The appraiser is required to commit to the full day at the tournament and a half day of training, generally 1-2 weeks before the tournament.

An appraiser must be 18 years old or older, and should not be the team manager. Since the appraiser will be appraising another team's performance (not your team), some parents might not want to volunteer since they will be unable to see their child perform. However, there are many good candidates including teachers, grand parents, neighbors, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers or college students. Many times, once someone appraises at a tournament, they will come back year after year...because it's really fun!

Teams will not be able to complete registration until their appraiser has completed registration on the Texas DI website. Credits will be awarded, up to $100, for teams providing more than 1 appraiser.

Step 8: Regional Tournament

Please make sure your team has reviewed the safety guidelines and restrictions in the Rules of the Road. In addition to the DI global safety rules, the Dal-Rich tournament has additional restrictions (as outlined in the Rules of the Road, these may be imposed locally based on the site or at the discretion of the tournament director):- No helium balloons- No dry ice- No dimming or turning off of lights

Thank you for helping your teams make sure that we have a safe tournament!

Step 9: Celebrate!

Attend the Awards Ceremony after the Regional Tournament and celebrate the season and all the team has accomplished!

Teams Advancing to State

First place finishing teams will advance to the Texas state tournament. Second place teams will be considered for a wildcard position at the state tournament -- these positions are determined after all other regional competitions have been held. There will be more information provided to both first and second place teams directly after the Regional Tournament Awards Ceremony.